The views expressed on this and other LGBT websites regarding race relations often characterize blacks as behind the times regarding homophobia while ignoring the racial prejudices that have become so normalized in the LGBT community (among gaywhite men in particular) that they are not even thought of as worthy of discussion. The recent backlash turned media phenomenon that followed Tracy Morgan’s idiotic tirade during a standup routine in Tennessee brought up much of the old racist innuendo that was so prevalent following the passing of Proposition 8. I am often fascinated by those who say the racial element is irrelevant. They vehemently maintain that the LGBT movement is just identifying a collective enemy of its causes.

Right.

So last week, when Marcus Bachmann referred to gay people as barbarians where were all of these heroic white gays to offer their astute commentary on homophobia in the white community? This incident was certainly reported on, but it just seemed to lack some of the pizazz that Tracy Morgan brought out. This man would be the “First Man” of the United States if Bachmann is successful in her campaign, and Morgan is a mere comedian.

With the latter, The New Gay even posted a moronic article called “An Open Letter to Tracy Morgan“ in which Craig Gidney (whose post scarcely even addressed Morgan’s remarks) launched into a rather incoherent tirade about his experiences being bashed and denigrated by those that “share[s] a hue and culture that matches [his]own.” Unsurprisingly, the article was hailed by some as heroic, and one commenter even boldly stated “May we all call out homophobia and bigotry no matter its source,” insinuating that blacks are spared criticism from gay rights activists due to political correctness. This juvenile assessment is reiterated loudly and often. The problem with this “analysis” is that races are not typically given ownership of homophobia. After all, under more careful scrutiny it was revealed that Hispanics actually won the “homophobia as measured by percentage of their race’s approval of Proposition 8″ award. I recall no collective effort on behalf of the courageous white gays to offer their cold, hard truths to the Hispanic community.
A commenter on an article on TNG called “Why am I Not Attracted to Black Men“ even gave blacks credit for the high instance of gay hate crimes in Washington, DC. He maintained that it’s all because Marion Barry and Bishop Harry Jackson efforts to incite the 50% of the city’s population that is black to target gay white men through some nebulous mind control process that was never clearly defined. Never mind that blacks are victims of hate crimes far more disproportionately than they commit them. Never mind that there are a litany of African-American leaders who are supportive of LGBT rights like Julian Bond and . . . oh yeah . . . . Barack Obama that black people could turn to for leadership, but white gays are always so certain that it’s these anti-gay black preachers who are running the show among the darkies and that black people eagerly listen to them. Interestingly, these same well-intentioned white gays feel no need to give blacks credit for getting gay marriage passed in DC. That must have been entirely the work of the LGBT movement’s efforts to mobilize support in the city.

Before the Tracy Morgan incident, one of the most famous examples cited as evidence of “black homophobia” was that white people (as a demographic) voted against Proposition 8 in California, which the majority of black voters supported.

Uh-huh.

So what about Oregon? Oregon Measure 36 was approved by 57% of voters and the population is only 1.8% black. 53% of whites voted for the measure. What about Montana Initiative 96? Black people make up approximately .4% of the population in the Treasure State, yet the measure passed by 67%. 66% of white voters there passed the measure. Utah Amendment 3? Again,66% of white voters were for that one. In Kentucky, 76% of white voters supported Kentucky Amendment 1 which banned same sex marriage, while 70% of blacks did. What about Arkansas Amendment 3? In my home state 77% of whites voted for it while only 66% of blacks did. Why weren’t any of those stats paraded all over every gay media outlet? Where were the brave calls to speak truth to the white populace in those states? But many would have you believe that the selective outrage and blatant racism brought about by the passing of Proposition 8 stems from a desire to speak out to intolerance “no matter what its source.”

The real issue (surprise, surprise) is actually the religious demographics of each race. African-Americans are the most religious racial group according to Pew studies. Further, Historically Black Churches (which not all black people attend) aren’t the most intolerant toward homosexuality. They come in second to White Evangelical Churches. To be certain, religion has played a strong role in the African-American community due to so many of its prominent leaders in the middle of the 20th century (MLK, Malcolm X, etc.) having strong religious ties. To some blacks homosexuality is still seen as the pinnacle of debauchery and excess, and this homophobia must be addressed. But the homophobia of black people is not attached to their blackness any more than the homophobia of white people is attached to their whiteness. Black people are much more likely to be hard up than white people. And people who are hard up tend to be very serious about Jesus. And people who are very serious about Jesus tend to be very serious about homosexuality being a great societal evil. So if you want to put an end black homophobia, perhaps instead of ostracizing gays of color and condescending to African-Americans you should put away your iPhone and attempt to alleviate some of the poverty and desperation in the black community that has made them (past and present) rely so heavily on religion for the answers to their problems.

Unfortunately, most of the white people screaming loudest on this topic have no interest in unraveling the causation of these disparities. They just want to extrapolate the statistical data that demonstrates a correlation between a person’s race (so long as they are not white) to their negative traits. They attack white intolerance through their religion and black intolerance through their race, and facts be damned. Instead of using every instance of “black homophobia” as evidence that the Negros are coming to get the white homos, the white homos could avail themselves of the realities of minority experiences in the LGBT community.

White gays are only concerned with the races of homophobes if they’re black because the gay community is extremely racist. Most of the social outlets in the LGBT community are aimed at upper-middle class, white gay men, and as a result minorities, people who are transgendered, and lesbians are relegated to second class citizenship. Patrons at every gay club I have ever been to are almost exclusively white males (occasionally lesbians will be in a separate room upstairs) and the people of color are typically ignored and even sneered at. Magazines purporting to represent all gay people feature almost exclusively white male models and statements like “no blacks please” and “not into rice” on dating and “hook-up” sites are so commonplace that many do not even see these statements as offensive. And transgendered people? Do they even exist?

But this segregation and stratification rarely factors into the equation when white gay men seek to lecture blacks (gay & otherwise) on “black homophobia.” They would love to have a dialogue about race as long as it’s understood from the beginning of the discussion that (a) they are in no way responsible for the racial stratification that exists in society at large and within the LGBT community, (b)they have NEVER (GASP!) done ANYTHING as a result of racial prejudices, (c) they have never benefited from their elevated status, and (d) minorities must entertain the propagation of their ridiculous narrative regarding the racial oppression of white people.

“It’s like you think Brown v. Board of Ed ought to apply to boners too lol.”

“You can’t legislate friendship and/or who I wanna fuck! Am I sexist for only sleeping with women?”

“I’m not going to apologize for being white!”

Narcissistic absurdities such as these are screamed indignantly as if the underlying message of the rhetoric directed at their privileges is a direct attack upon their whiteness. The proclivity of white gays to look to the brown skinned people around them as the source of their plight while simultaneously ignoring their white privilege is alarmingly common. Apparently race only matters when certain anti-gay legislative measures pass in certain states where certain ethnic groups voted for it, or when certain comedians make disturbing comments in their stand-up routines. That’s why every time I read a self-serving article about “black homophobia“ touted about on a completely Euro-centric gay blog or an embarrassing essay about the victimization of the gay white man within a community that is expressly tailored to the interests of his specific identity, I find myself shaking my head. We have along way to go to reach equality within the gay community before we can fully tackle the oppression coming from the lunatics who seek to eradicate it. The racist scapegoating that is masqueraded as political pragmatism needs to stop. If it does not, expect to retain no credibility when criticizing minority opposition/indifference to the causes of the LGBT movement.

This is a good post. The racism within the gay community really reflects the racism within society as a whole. Things need to change, and everyone needs to see and deal with their own unconscious assumptions and unacknowledged prejudices.

Now, for one question, honestly asked because I really do not know the answer: how does the community integrate/diversify the bar scene? Since all associations, including simply walking in the door, are voluntary, how do we create a good mix?

Great post. A similar article could be written about the treatment of women – in so much as that inquality is viewed ignorantly as an “issue of the past” when misogyny/sexism exist in small and large examples everywhere. I’ll also be touching a little on race and LGBT communities in my post this Thursday.

You are spot on when you say that often homophobia is tied to the color of ones skin in a way that is solely racist – behaviors may be tied to religion, socio economic status, and general upbringing, but behavior cannot be attributed to skin color. I’m glad to see this well thought out post on TNG.

My “incoherent” article used the Tracy Morgan incident as a springboard to discuss my personal experiences. You found my experiences “self-serving” and “moronic.” What is the purpose of using such insults?

11 July 2011 at 1:14 pm

Joe said:

As good as some of the points in this article are, saying that “White gays are only concerned with the races of homophobes if they’re black” is a generalization as insulting as the ones the article complains about.

This is among the most racist articles that I’ve ever read on this site. While standing up against generalizations about race in LGBTQ communities, the author repeatedly makes generalized judgments and out-of-context statistical references about race.

“The racist scapegoating that is masqueraded as political pragmatism needs to stop.”

I couldn’t agree more, and yet:

“White gays are only concerned with the races of homophobes if they’re black because the gay community is extremely racist.”

“After all, under more careful scrutiny it was revealed that Hispanics actually won the “homophobia as measured by percentage of their race’s approval of Proposition 8″ award.”

“The proclivity of white gays to look to the brown skinned people around them as the source of their plight while simultaneously ignoring their white privilege is alarmingly common.”

In this way, I guess it is appropriate that the author mentions Zack Rosen’s article in the conclusion, along with the speculation on the makeup of Zack’s community and background. If we, as one or as many communities, aim to keep open dialog among one another, no one, even a cisgender white male should be offered the ‘sit-down-and-shut-up’ response when offering a perspective on the space that one occupies in regard to race and/or gender.

11 July 2011 at 3:18 pm

Michael O. said:

Mr. Gidney I want to make one thing very clear. My comments about your article are not judgements about you personally, but I do think the implicit assumptions in your article were racist, offensive and even moronic. I think the fact that you are black was the reason your article was published and it was self-serving of TNG to use of an opinion article written by an African-American man to redress homophobia in the black community on a website on which the subject matter and authorship is utterly lacking in diversity.

Joe, I’m sorry that you think that the intent of this article was to “complain” about anything. I do think your point about my generalization about white gays is somewhat fair. I should have said “white LGBT activists are only concerned with the races of those who resist their movement if they are are not white.” And if you think that is a generalization, I will gladly entertain any introduction to material illuminating an instance in which the demographic actions of white people have been used by LGBT activists to malign the ignorance or intolerance of white people toward homosexuality and the larger LGBT movement.

There you go with insults again! Can you write anything without resorting to name calling?
How is writing about gay bashing and homophobic ideology in the black community “racist”?
Your love affair with fiery rhetoric and hyperbole makes you more of a troll than a commentator, I’m afraid.

11 July 2011 at 3:58 pm

Steven P. said:

I agree that racial stratification within the LGBTQ community is a problem, as is discrimination based on religion and socio-economic status. Yet a few commentators pointed out a key problem in this article: any argument against bigotry falls flat when it utilizes gross generalizations.

Unfortunately, no community is free from bigotry. When it comes to race, distrust and misinformation concerning other ethnic groups exists in all communities – black, white, Asian, Latino, etc. Within the short history of the United States, you can find instances of discrimination between each racial group. The white community has engaged in systematic discrimination against non-white groups, but so too have Asian, Latino, and black communities been found guilty of discrimination (you only have to look at the 1992 Los Angeles Riots to see examples of violent racism coming from ALL sides). So finger pointing gets us no where. Racism is a problem. We all do it. Rather than call each other bigot, and then smugly sit back expecting the other party to change course, each of us needs to examine how we engage in bigotry on a regular basis. And then talk. We need to talk to each other, and listen. And when that fails, we need to do it again.

Everyone is racist. Everyone. There is a simple, evolutionary explanation for that. Human brains are hardwired for shortcut thinking. If your survival depends on making snap judgements about the nature of the persons you suddenly happen upon as you go about your day, then your genetics will select for short-cut thinking.

That being said, the responsibility for acknowledging and dealing with the short-cut thinking bias of our brains falls upon everyone’s shoulders. We all have to deal with our inherent racism, sexism, heterosexism, cisgenderism, ad infinitumism. We do this by being aware that our brains make precognitive snap judgements; that we have assumptions so deeply ingrained we don’t even recognize them as such; and that we must challenge our assumptions on a daily basis.

11 July 2011 at 4:52 pm

Ken said:

To answer a question posed by the article: the difference between Morgan and Bachmann is that Morgan was liked by many people, queer and otherwise. His comments were shocking because people liked him and were disappointed (at least those were my feelings). No one I know would expect anything less from Bachmann. It’s not news that he feels this way. So hearing him say those things (while still definitely not okay) are not a surprise. hence, no big reaction.

At least that’s my view of it. But I’ll take what you’re saying to heart and continue to try to be a better person.

11 July 2011 at 4:59 pm

Oliver said:

Could The New Gay stop publishing articles about who’s more racist or who’s more homophobic and start publishing articles about what to do about it? Articles like this one and the Tracy Morgan ones do more to fan the flames that separate us than anything else. Let’s quit bitching and start looking for solutions people!

11 July 2011 at 7:57 pm

Michael O. said:

To Anthony M

First, I am honestly quite pleased to see this piece generating the type of furor from whites that articles such as “In Defense of the Gay White Male” generate from everyone else.

Your first citation has been addressed.

The second citation demonstrates your lack of reading comprehension. That factoid was to demonstrate the selective outrage over racialized opposition to Proposition 8, not to demonize Hispanics. In light of the reaction to the Proposition passing and the fact that every major news outlet from CNN to Fox (and even typically fair-minded gay pundits like Rachel Maddow on MSNBC) highlighted the inflated voter breakdown of black approval of the measure as the real and pressing issue concerning the passage of the bill in California, it is not unfair to assume that racist scapegoating is common among the predominately white LGBT movement.

As to my “speculation” about Zac’s community and background, he defended himself as a representation of “the man” and I criticized his own imagery. So if you’re going to say it’s racist of me to fashion a generic white gay man to criticize, then you should also take issue with the defense of one. Unsurprisingly, you saved your indignation for a person speaking out against his arbitrarily granted privileges instead of his own defensiveness of them.

Typical.

But what worries me the most is your insinuation that Zac’s article was about his efforts to express his feelings regarding his own race/gender identity and was summarily dismissed because he is a white man. That is not what happened at all. Do you guys think protests outside of anti-gay churches that campaign against gay rights measures are asking people to apologize for being heterosexual? Of course not. But those protests should serve as a wake up call to heterosexuals that those to whom much is given much is required. That was the point I would have taken away from her speech. A Hispanic lesbian was recounting her experiences with intolerance and where it is coming from and instead of empathizing he chose to internalize her anger and morph her struggles into accusations and/or an attack on his race and gender. He made her plight all about himself.

You and Zac seem to operate under the delusion that discussions about the racial/gender hierarchy in the LGBT should be some kind of trade off. It’s ok to talk about the privileges white gay men have as long as we also talk about how difficult it is to navigate those privileges. It is not show and tell and attempts to make it such diminish the experiences of non-white men. Those two issues (being discriminated against and inadvertently benefitting from the discrimination of others) are not the same. You need to understand that every conversation about inequality need not be followed with sworn testimony about how hard it is to be at the top of the pyramid. This incessant need to discuss the oppression of others on your own terms and exclusively through the prism of your own advantages-turned-plight is a huge problem. It isn’t about you.

And Steven, your attempt to conflate the prejudices that all racial groups (and all human beings) contain with the white racism that has permeated American history is intellectually lazy. Prejudices are not the same as racism because racism is about power. Inside the racial hierarchy in the US, white people have it and black people don’t. The oppression of blacks in this country has been almost exclusively organized by whites and whites are the ones who have benefitted most readily from this discrimination. It is not a generalization to lay most blame at their feet. Even though most whites no longer intentionally proliferate racism, if they stand idly by while others are treated unjustly and justify the advantages they have by virtue of their race instead of actively seeking to eliminate racial inequity then they too are part of the problem.

I am not going to let this conversation be hijacked or softened just because the way it is framed makes white people uncomfortable. I stand by my article and I meant every word that it contained.

11 July 2011 at 8:25 pm

Michael O. said:

* When I expressed delight at the furor being expressed, I only meant that I was glad this conversation was taking place. That there are such starkly contrasting interpretations of its implications seems indicative of the fact that dialogues like these are sorely needed.

11 July 2011 at 8:40 pm

GW said:

If you’re a gay white men, and this article makes you feel uncomfortable, you need to ask yourself why. Is it because on a subconscious level you know that what most of the writer is saying is true? Or is it because you feel guilty that you, as a privileged gay white male, haven’t done more to combat the racist tendencies in your own life and the racist tendencies of your gay white friends?

Gay black men and gay men of color have always had to put up with the racist way the gay culture glorifies the gay white male…in gay magazines, gay films, gay characters in various sitcoms, gay websites, and the gay media in general. So your uncomfortableness when being called out is justified.

11 July 2011 at 10:00 pm

Groundhog Day said:

Here we go again. This race talk is getting to be a way too recurrent theme on TNG.

Now does racism and prejudice exist in American society, including its gay subset? Yes, it does. But where does it exist in gay culture? And how does it manifest itself in gay society? Is it just the personal ads and the middle schoolish pecking order at clubs, where superficiality and good looks are used to evaluate one’s sex prospects? If so, who cares? It’s just sex. Guys are horny and want to quickly fulfill fantasies on a web site or at an afterparty. Why do we keep reopening this issue week after week on this site?

Now if race is the determining factor to deny people jobs, or pay them less or prevent them from shopping in a store or eating in a restaurant, by all means, this is unacceptable. Is this what everyone is complaining about? Do racial barriers exist in gay society that prevent people from accessing things?

The Bachmann/Morgan analogy is faulty. Bachmann is a fool, a self-loathing closet case. Nothing comes out of his mouth that isn’t homophobic so it was really no surprise by his most recent outburst. He also didn’t state them at a comedy routine, mention murder and incite a crowd to laugh along.

If you can’t spot the difference between the Bachmann and Morgan incidents, then you probably have no reason to complain in the first place.

11 July 2011 at 10:14 pm

Innsbruck said:

What! This story is really trivial. I avoid whiny people at all costs. If someone came up to me in a club and started asking me what i though of racism in the gay community, I’d probably tell him to go to the bar, get a drink and start dancing. Why on earth would people bring this up in a club? People need to socialize more and stop overanalyzing why they’re not getting laid! It’s probably because they’re a bore. LOL.

11 July 2011 at 10:19 pm

Michael O. said:

To Groundhog Day

You missed the point of the Bachmann/Morgan analogy completely. The point is that when white homophobes make anti-gay remarks they are not attached to the race of the speaker.

As to the rest of your argument (implying that prejudices unrelated to job prevention and socio-economic mobility are irrelevant and that those at the bottom of the totem pole should just get over it) I’d be curious as to whether or not you would have given similar advice to Tyler Clementi.

11 July 2011 at 10:58 pm

Pierre H. said:

TL:DR

11 July 2011 at 10:58 pm

Jon said:

Thought provoking!

12 July 2011 at 12:47 pm

David said:

Good article, finally, someone came out and said it! Gay white guys do tend to be a bit hypocritical. I also notice that gay white people get hurt when a white person says something homophobic; gay white people get angry if a black person (particularly a black male) makes the same type of statement. If it’s wrong, it’s wrong, period. It shouldn’t matter from what race it came from.

I also wish these white people would stop comparing the black civil rights movement to gay struggles whenever they want to make a point. It’s so fair-weathered and opportunistic. They can never seem to understand how it’s 1) not the same and 2) offensive, but who says they even care! lol

Michael, I want to express my delight in your articulate and timely article. For me, it was not about apportioning blame, but about indicating elements of racism that many whites – and blacks, do not even register the existence of.As a black gay man living in Europe I understand White privilege, how it works and why.Like most black gay men, I have found creative and resourceful solutions to deal with it so that it does not diminish my self-esteem – for the most part. However, the whole Tracey Morgan affair underlined the way in which some gay activists fixate homophobia with race whenever given an opportunity – and it seemed he was being held hostage in a way that I have yet to see a white person in a similar situation. So yes, white privilege permeates the gay scene and corporate structures as they are a microcosm of society. Like David, I also resist the comparison of civil rights with gay rights because just like he says it is fair weathered and opportunistic. A few Black people have been co-opted to do summary gay lobbying, and all I can say to them is ‘Was that one gig really worth it?’ As individuals they are free to make their own decisions, and live with the consequences. Just don’t expect me to jump to the gay cause as a mission of liberation when proponents of same cause systematically attempt to exclude and marginalise at will.

13 July 2011 at 2:41 am

TheRealAdam said:

@shaunart – Well, it’s clear where your racial sympathies lie. You retaliate against white gays rejecting you by rejecting them and, essentially, the entire validity of the gay civil rights movement itself. That is despicable.

13 July 2011 at 10:55 am

isn'tcapitalismthe'real'crime said:

So racism is really about power?
“The racist scapegoating that is masqueraded as political pragmatism needs to stop.”
No doubt.

but then we’re back to an old game
“Instead of using every instance of “black homophobia” as evidence that the Negros are coming to get the white homos,”
transitions into:
“the white homos could avail themselves of the realities of minority experiences in the LGBT community.
White gays are only concerned with the races of homophobes if they’re black because the gay community is extremely racist.”

You make some good points about racism, it’s the political posturing that’s a weak move. I’m angry too, but not at you.

13 July 2011 at 7:30 pm

Ellen Park said:

As an Asian straight female let me break it down for some of you crybabies. Gays are upset when white men make hateful comments because they don’t know any better. Gays are angry when black men make hateful remarks because they should know better.

Got it? Good.

13 July 2011 at 10:53 pm

Reginald Q Fancy said:

I am ecstatic that this got published. I absolutely think Tracy Morgan was being held to an unfair standard because of racial contexts. His comments were inane, hurtful, and near unforgivable, but rarely does the white community rally against powerful white bigots.

14 July 2011 at 12:19 am

Reginald Q Fancy said:

Craig,

“This misguided hatred has most recently found a foothold in Uganda, with the notorious “kill gays” bill.” Yet, you failed to mention that anti-gay sentiment in Africa stems from white missionaries imposing their homophobic cultures onto native cultures.

14 July 2011 at 12:23 am

Mike said:

“rarely does the white community rally against powerful white bigots.”

I know right! oh when will these white people set aside their racist ways and call out white bigots such as Newt Gingrich, Maggie Gallagher, Anne Coulter, Rick Santorum, Bill O’Reilly, Mike Huckabee, and everyone in the Westboro Baptist Church

oh wait.

14 July 2011 at 1:47 am

RiotGRRRL said:

Well written. Ellen Park a straight Asian woman came closest to a good argument for the difference in reactions to Morgan VS. homophobic White people. It still does not hold water, the fact remains that the gay community inside and especially outside of major cities is extremely RACIST. Gay community being defined as Gay White men, as most people inside and outside the gay community hear that and read that phrase. Thats like saying White women should know better than to treat women of color like crap, or for that matter gay people; which brings us to Michele Bachman. Bachman just signed a marriage vow, vowing to keep marriage between a woman and a man; somebody should have kept her barefoot and pregnant. All these people offended by what was written, need to look in the mirror, and around them. I lived in Boystown for a number of years and as a Black woman I saw either fear/hatred of gay Black men or them being bought, or them being fetish fodder. The commitment the gay community has made to Black LGBT community reminds me of the commitment the feminist community makes with Black women, only when convenient.

“This misguided hatred has most recently found a foothold in Uganda, with the notorious “kill gays” bill.” Yet, you failed to mention that anti-gay sentiment in Africa stems from white missionaries imposing their homophobic cultures onto native cultures.

Before the latest wave of white missionaries (Rick Warren, et al), was Uganda somehow a black gay paradise? If the bill passed, would that be exclusively the fault of the white missionaries? Are Ugandans just puppets to be controlled by white missionaries?

I am ecstatic that this got published. I absolutely think Tracy Morgan was being held to an unfair standard because of racial contexts. His comments were inane, hurtful, and near unforgivable, but rarely does the white community rally against powerful white bigots.

A simple–really simple— Google search refutes that last sentence.

Look, having a dual consciousness is difficult. Racism and the white privilege in the gay community enrages me, too. And so do apologists for homophobes of color. Angry posturing–which is what this is–is cathartic but has little intellectual value.

14 July 2011 at 2:38 pm

Another Jeremy said:

@ Mike

Damn you’re witty. When Newt Gingrich, Maggie Gallagher, Anne Coulter, Rick Santorum, Bill O’Reilly, Mike Huckabee, and everyone in the Westboro Baptist Church are criticized it is invariably followed by a call to educate white people about homosexuality.

Oh wait.

So Craig, what was your piece if not angry posturing?

How is it that you fools still haven’t gotten the point of this article? Criticize Tracy Morgan until the cows come home, but leave his race out of it. Is that such a difficult concept to grasp?

14 July 2011 at 3:10 pm

Oliver said:

@ RiotGrrl, You say that the race issue is more severe outside of major cities. That may be generally true but I live in a small town in NC with a fairly large gay population and everyone seems to mix together fairly well. I went to the gay night at a local bar last Sunday night, which is hosted by a black man, and the different races all mingled together with no problem. I know this isn’t the point of the article but I’d be interested to know where the people who see this segregation in the gay community live.

14 July 2011 at 4:15 pm

Reginald Q Fancy said:

“A simple–really simple— Google search refutes that last sentence.

Look, having a dual consciousness is difficult. Racism and the white privilege in the gay community enrages me, too. And so do apologists for homophobes of color. Angry posturing–which is what this is–is cathartic but has little intellectual value.”

Three times you have used the emotional strawman to deflect real concerns about the article you wrote. I used no vitriolic words, nor did I use any form of ad hominem.

As a culture, we ascribe overarching qualia to minority groups that we do not ascribe to the normative groups. When a person of color says something damning to queer people, we immediately dissect their statements and superimpose our own white bias and privilege. We do a sociological handwaving and blame black culture for in-house homophobia.

You are indeed correct, I could do a simple google search and find that we rail against white homophobes, but I am fairly certain that I will not find assumptive assertions about how our white culture promotes white homophobes. The percentage of white gay men that are “downlow” is probably equivalent or more equivalent to the percentage of “downlow” people of color, yet we still impose unfair expectations upon minority queer communities that we do not impose upon ourselves.

“Before the latest wave of white missionaries (Rick Warren, et al), was Uganda somehow a black gay paradise? If the bill passed, would that be exclusively the fault of the white missionaries? Are Ugandans just puppets to be controlled by white missionaries?”

I didn’t ever imply that Uganda was a black gay paradise and I’m fairly confident you already knew the answer to this question.

15 July 2011 at 3:56 am

RiotGRRRL said:

Oliver, what is your race? I live in a middling city in Ohio now, same culture IMO different city. There are havens and safe places, and cool places to co-exist, don’t get me wrong, I helped found one such place in Chicago. Why argue this point? Why not assume I’m right and work to dismantle power and racial dynamics?

Tangentially speaking, the phrase “why not assume I’m right” perfectly encapsulates why I’ve given up on activism. Activism is the haven of the self-righteous, whether they are activists on the left of the right. Unfortunately, US culture is rife with this species of moral certitude. It’s in our cultural DNA. I think is was Dan Savage who explained it by saying, “The Australians got the prisoners, the Canadians got the French, and the United States got the Puritans.” Left-leaning puritanism is just as repugnant, IMHO.

18 July 2011 at 12:30 pm

Chaz said:

Thoroughly thought provoking and passionate post… just what I like. I wish I could express myself like this. I know that I will make every effort to try remember to repost this to every other blog and commentary that misses the point and ignores the facts as described above.

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